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JULIUS CÆSAR.

39

Por. Thou hast some suit to Cæfar, haft thou not?
Sooth. That I have, lady, if it will please Cæfar

To be so good to Cæfar, as to hear me :
I shall beseech him to befriend himself.

Por. Why, know'st thou any harm's intended to

wards him? Sooth. None that I know will be, much that I fear [may chance. Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow: The throng that follows Cæfar at the heels, Of fenators, of prætors, common fuitors, Will crowd a feeble man almost to death : I'll get me to a place more void, and there Speak to great Cæfar as he comes along.

[Exit.

Por. I must go in. Ay me! how weak a thing

The heart of woman is! Ó Brutus!

The heavens speed thee in thine enterprize!
Sure, the boy heard me:-Brutus hath a fuit,
That Cæfar will not grant. -O, I grow faint :-
Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord ;
Say, I am merry: come to me again,

And bring me word what he doth say to thee.

ACT III.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I. The ftreet, and then the Capitol; the

Senate fitting.

Flourish. Enter CÆSAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, ARTEMIDORUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and the Soothfayer.

Cafar.

THE ides of March are come.

Sooth.

Sooth. Ay, Cæfar; but none gone.
Art. Hail, Cæfar! Read this schedule.
Dec. Trebonius doth defire you to o'er-read,
At your best leisure, this his humble fuit.

Art. O Cæfar, read mine first: for mine's a fuit
That touches Cæfar nearer: Read it, great Cæfar.
Caf. What touches us ourself, shall be last serv'd.
Art. Delay not, Cæfar; read it instantly.
Caf. What, is the fellow mad?
Pub. Sirrah, give place.

Caf. What, urge you your petitions in the street? Come to the Capitol.

[CÆSAR enters the Capitol, the reft following.] Pop. I wish your enterprize to-day may thrive. Caf. What enterprize, Popilius? Pop. Fare you well.

Bru. What faid Popilius Lena?

Caf. He wish'd, to-day our enterprize might thrive. I fear, our purpose is discovered.

Bru. Look, how he makes to Cæfar: Mark him. Caf. Cafca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, Caffius, or Cæfar, never shall turn back, For I will flay myself.

Bru. Caffius, be constant: Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes; For, look, he smiles, and Cæfar doth not change. Caf. Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus, He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt ANT. and TREB,

Dec. Where is Metellus Cimber? let him go,

And presently prefer his fuit to Cæfar.

Bru. He is addrest: press near, and fecond him.

JULIUS CÆSAR.

41

Cin. Cafca, you are the first that rear your hand.
Caf. Are
we all ready? What is now amiss,

That Cæfar, and his fenate, must redress?
Met. Mofthigh, most mighty, and most puissant Cæfar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy feat [Kneeling.
An humble heart:-

Caf. I muft prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings, and these lowly courtefies,
Might fire the blood of ordinary men;
And turn pre-ordinance, and first decree,
Into the lane of children. Be not fond,
To think that Cæfar bears such rebel blood,
That will be thaw'd from the true quality
With that which melteth fools; I mean sweet words,
Low-crooked curt'fies, and base spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished;
If thou doft bend, and pray, and fawn for him,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know, Cæfar doth not wrong; nor without cause
Will he be fatisfied.

Met. Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To found more sweetly in great Cæfar's ear,
For the repealing of my banish'd brother?
Bru. I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Cæfar
Defiring thee, that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Caf. What, Brutus !

Caf. Pardon, Cæfar; Cæfar, pardon:
As low as to thy foot doth Caffius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

Caf. I could be well mov'd, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me :

But I am constant as the northern star,

Of whose true-fixt, and resting quality,

D3

There

There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks,
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there's but one in all doth hold his place :
So, in the world; 'Tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehenfive;
Yet, in the number, I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshak'd of motion: and, that I am he,
Let me a little shew it, even in this;
That I was conftant Cimber should be banish'd,
And constant do remain to keep him fo.

Cin. O Cæfar,

Caf. Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?
Dec. Great Cæfar,

Caf. Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?
Cafca. Speak, hands, for me. [They flab CÆSAR.
Caf. Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Cæfar! [Dies.
Cin. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!--
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

Caf. Some to the common pulpits, and cry out, Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement !

Bru. People, and fenators! be not affrighted; Fly not; stand still :-ambition's debt is paid. Cafta. Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

Dec. And Caffius too.

Bru. Where's Publius?

Cin. Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.
Met. Stand faft together, left fome friend of Cæfar's

Should chance

Bru. Talk not of standing:-Publius, good cheer;

There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman elfe: fo tell them, Publius.

Caf. And leave us, Publius, left that the people

Rushing

1

JULIUS CÆSAR.

43

Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.
Bru. Do fo;-and let no man abide this deed,

But we the doers.

Re-enter TREBONIUS.

Caf. Where is Antony?

Treb. Fled to his house amaz'd:

Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and run,
As it were doomsday.

Bru. Fates! we will know your pleasures :
That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.
Caf. Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life,

Cuts off so many years of fearing death.
Bru. Grant that, and then is death a benefit:
So are we Cæfar's friends, that have abridg'd
His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, ftoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Cæfar's blood
Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords:
Then walk we forth, even to the market-place;
And, waving cur red weapons o'er our heads,
Let's all cry, Peace! Freedom! and Liberty!
Caf. Stoop then, and wash. - How many ages hence,

Shall this our lofty scene be acted over,
In states unborn, and accents yet unknown?

Bru. How many times shall Cæfar bleed in sport,

That now on Pompey's basis lies along,
No worthier than the duft ?

Caf. So oft as that shall be,
So often shall the knot of us be call'd

The men that gave their country liberty.

Dec. What, shall we forth?

Caf. Ay, every man away:

1

Brutus shall lead, and we will grace his heels

With

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